The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1887-12-22
Mrs. Smells Position on wo-
man Suffrage.
CoLCMBrs, MIss., bee. e. Is
Editor Tupel, journal:

CVIthhANs Htcr.s hftt. ". AC0f-
Editor Tupelv Journal:
Ny attentnn has been called to a par
agraph in yonr paper beginning: "rhe
telcgrapbic reports uf the National W. e..
I. U. Convention say Mrs. Smell is pro-
Houncetl Woman Snffragi>t." have never
sren sneh n statement, and am somew hat
surprised to learn that yon have. AS
your little sqnib is travelling the rounds of
tho unfriendly press. doubtless for the
purpose of hindcriug The work Of the w.
G.. 7. L. "i this State, deem il advisable
90 derlare my belief regarding the ones.
tion of woman suffrage, thus settling once
for all the position hold. am e,nphat-
icalIy opposed to the W. c. I. T.. as rep
resented Us. individual States. endorsing
or advocating Woman Suffrage. The
National w. c. +. L. believes in States
rights regarding this question and say s
that any State w. c. T. U. has right TO
Department and can keep out of the
State any lecturer or advocate of Woman
Suffrage who desires to come in under the
". g. T. Y. auspices. As long as the
National w. C. T. u. thus protects the
individual desire of her sisters, am not
opposed to the National keeping Wo-
NINA Suffrage Department. / am in favor
Of those States that want suffrage to adj
vocate 1t. those that do not to oppose il.
To illustrate, am in favor of woman
suffrage for Kansas, Washington Terrific
nv. and Utah, but opposed to it for Missis-
sippi. for the reason named. The official
position occupy in the W. c. t. u. of
Mississippi forbils my advocating, as a
representative of the w. c. +. T., any
measure not endorsed by onr State W. c.
T. u, and the record shows that ! have
kept well in line with our State organiza
ton. The Mississippi W. c. T. U. is abso-
lntely free from any woman suffrage ques-
tion and in all probability will ever he.
While am opposed to woman suffrage
for Mississippi IN the tnIl sense Of the
word: am, decidedly in favor of women
having right to vote upon the educa-
tiunal needs of our children. I s:oHh
love TO KNOW tnat we nan n woillaU ~
Superintendent of Education for orr
State. II wonld be we'll think to have
women as school trustees and in all other
positions bearing directly upon the train
ing ofchildren. Party politics generally
fill these offices without regard to the fit
ness of the person for snch sacred re-
sponsibility, and the children are the sut
ferers thereby. In this belief | am IN
harmony with my STATE w. c. I. L.
l do not regret the agitation of the wo-
mans suffrage question. The general
restlessness points to the fact that the
ballot must be saved trorA the clutch of
Ignorance, vice and bribery, and it shows
that womrn are becoming more and more
determined to save their homes from these
evils The suffrage agitation acts as a
qnickener of mems couscienceS, reminding
them that the best way to stop the sntfage
racket is to put their manly shoulders to
the wheel and straiehten up those wrongs.
No quicker. surer death can hefall woman
Suffrage than the conscience ballots of
moral. religious men. No snrer lease OF
life can be given woman suffrage than for
moral. religions men tn refuse to oppose
thc grip of the liquor traffic upon the bal
lst.